Latest Vacancies at Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Main Purpose of Role:

Based in Pretoria and reporting to the Head of Hub, the jobholder will provide procurement/commercial expertise to the Africa regional procurement hub based in Pretoria, Kenya and Nigeria.  The jobholder will have a line management and coordination role across the different locations, with responsibility for the procurement life cycle across the regional network including Embassies, High Commissions and posts, ensuring compliance to FCDO global policy and UK procurement regulations.

The jobholder will provide guidance and support to stakeholders through management of the Hubs on daily procurement activities and the most complex procurement requirements. Increasing commercial influence of procurement and commercial improvements across the region to deliver Value for Money (VfM) and alignment to transparency initiatives for the FCDO.

The jobholder will work closely with the Head of Hub, to establish the hubs service offering and working with the wider team to implement across the region.  Building key relationships with stakeholders at Post they will be influential in work planning and risk mitigation leading to continuous improvement to the delivery of an efficient service. 

Part of this role will include building relationships with the UK and wider hubs network to collaborate on workstreams to proactively seek opportunities to drive efficiencies globally. Alignment and input into the UK category strategies ensuring local knowledge is captured and used to influence where required. 

Through strong management skills the job holder will have responsibility for the management of the team, effective work planning and efficient resource allocation will be required to ensure the team provide a quality service across the region.   They will provide support and coordination of the team’s activities ensuring trust is built through encouragement and empowerment. 

The job holder will be self-starter, requiring emotional intelligence with a solution orientated mindset.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Line management and coordination responsibilities of the team, ensuring effective leadership to include work and resource planning enabling the team to provide a high-quality service
• Provide support and coordination of the team’s daily activities to ensure all procurement/commercial outputs are compliant
• Development of team though supporting L&D learning opportunities, ensuring trust is built through encouragement and empowerment
• Creativity and innovation will be required when developing and implementing service requirements for complex procurements to ensure value for money is achieved stakeholder
• Provide input to category plans where necessary and ensure engagement in business cases and lead on the drafting on the commercial case for all planned in scope procurements or commercial activity requiring FCDO Commercial engagement in the area under your remit
• Influencing and alignment to category strategies development from the UK, ensuring hubs expertise of local markets is embedded, fit for purpose and included
• Work with the Head of Hub to develop, maintain and leverage effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Actively work with stakeholders to review the range of commercial opportunities available to them and raise awareness and understanding of Commercial policy and best practice
• Proactively engage with stakeholders across the region to provide commercial advice, direction and assurance on all commercial issues
• Use judgement, interpretation and co-ordination to ensure that the solutions developed and delivered are acceptable to senior stakeholders and, when applicable, partners across government
• Use Judgement, interpretation and coordination to ensure effective solution resolution of risk and issues at both transactional and strategic level, escalating to the Head of Hub as required
• Ensure continuity and consistency of approach across the hub from project to project, using required tools, systems and processes to guide commercial activity and produce high quality commercial management information, sharing best practice with the wider hubs network
• Support the pipeline of projects and contracts using the FCDO eProcurement platform to enable accurate and timely reporting.
• Provide input to category plans where necessary and ensure engagement in business cases and lead on the drafting on the commercial case for all planned in scope procurements or commercial activity requiring FCDO Commercial engagement in the area under your remit
• Resolve complex issues, including those that are perceived to be novel and contentious
• Provide management, support and advice to other members of the team to develop business requirements and viable solutions and provide oversight and assurance of tender documentation and procurement compliance 
• Manage internal governance controls and support team in progressing through the respective assurance, governance and approvals processes
• Providing cover for the Head of Hub during periods of leave/absence

Ad-hoc duties as required

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Line management of up to 3 X HEO (Procurement Managers)
• 2 X EO (Procurement Leads) 1 X AO (Procurement Officer)

Essential qualifications, skills and experience 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or related field 
• Commercial Technical Skills - Previous experience in leading on complex commercial situations and leading teams to deliver great commercial outcomes
• Demonstrable line management experience
• Working Internationally - Previous experience in working in a procurement capacity which is regional/international and beyond domestic market
• Managing Change and Improvements - Evidence of the ability to identify potential improvements and successfully manage changes that deliver beneficial commercial outcomes
• Developing Self and Others - Experience in coaching and mentoring to build capability at all levels of a commercial function, including a team and direct reports
• Communicating and Influencing - Proven experience in influencing internal and external stakeholders
• Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 1 
• MCIPS or CPSM (or studying towards) or relevant certification or MBA

Required behaviours 

• Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Developing Self and Others

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Main Purpose of Role:

This role is part of the Programme Delivery Commercial team and works to eradicate extreme poverty by providing commercial support to the region.

Based in Pretoria and reporting to the Commercial Business Partner for Africa, the jobholder will provide procurement/commercial expertise to the South Africa development portfolio.  The jobholder will have responsibility for the procurement life cycle across the ODA Development portfolio, ensuring compliance to FCDO global policy and UK procurement regulations.

To provide procurement/commercial support to stakeholders through management of the Programme Areas most complex contract variations and most complex and strategic procurements,  increasing commercials influence of procurement and commercial improvement across FCDO’s spend in the region to improve value for money (VfM) and resulting impact for FCDO 

To develop commercial capability of stakeholders to address contractual issues in relation to the programme life-cycle

Support and maintain the development of category strategies and contractual routes across all relevant funding modalities (Contract, Grants, MOU etc); and key suppliers / delivery partners to deliver improved results and impact

Build strong relationships with key stakeholders from across FCDO and other UK government departments, working in the region as appropriate

The jobholder will work closely with internal colleagues to drive additional value and increase efficiency. Delivery in this role will rely on establishing the needs of the business and translating this into effective category and / or geographic based commercial strategies that enable the achievement of value for money, whilst achieving outcomes relating to relevant policy and strategic requirements for the FCDO and HMG.

The jobholder will play a critical role in shaping and managing expenditure, as well as building and maintaining a high level of category expertise and procurement capability across the Programme teams.

This is a hands on role, with strong strategic procurement, programme/project management and supplier engagement being critical skills, along with the requisite interpersonal skills necessary to lead, support and work with our stakeholders in line with the FCDO Commercial Strategy and the FCDO Values.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Providing inputs and expertise to develop effective commercial approaches that support our increasing role in effective Diplomacy and Influencing work;
• Supporting in-country colleagues in the design and development of new Business cases, with specific responsibility for early support in drafting Appraisal and Commercial sections of all Business Cases;
• Develop or contribute to robust sourcing strategies which demonstrate sound commercial acumen to cover key categories and deliver improved results and VfM
• Lead or contribute to procurement projects drafting specifications, tender documents, evaluation process, recommendation to award report and providing written feedback to suppliers, based on solid EU procurement process that protects the FCDO from challenge and reputational risk
• Lead in providing commercial scrutiny for all Indirect (non-contract) partners e.g. UN, World Bank, Civil Society partners etc. and facilitate the delivery of efficiency savings from programmes that contribute towards the wider FCDO Commercial savings targets;
• Provide scrutiny and support in the drafting and finalisation of non-contract (MoU and AG) agreements with Multilateral & CSO partners
• Work alongside programme and business unit colleagues to support improved contract management and VfM performance from all partners, including support on submitting contract amendments for approval. Where required, leading on the drafting and approval of contract amendments;
• Prepare draft contracts and contract variations, ensuring procurement delivery abides to the relevant processes (e.g., Open procedure, Framework call-downs/competitions, etc.) and the outputs offer a Value for Money (VfM) solution for the FCDO Manage, develop and maintain the in-country Commercial Delivery Plan as a basis from which to measure in-country/business area commercial development and maturity;
• Develop, maintain and leverage effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. Actively work with them to review the range of commercial opportunities available to them and raise awareness and understanding of Commercial policy
• Ensure continuity and consistency of approach across the portfolio from project to project, using required tools, systems and processes such as e-sourcing tools to guide commercial activity and produce high quality commercial management information
• Support the pipeline of projects and contracts using the FCDO eProcurement platform to enable accurate and timely reporting.
• Provide input to category plans where necessary and lead on development of regional / country strategy. To develop and maintain an understanding of the regional context; regional programme priorities; and local key suppliers/delivery partners in that region
• Resolve complex issues, including those that are perceived to be novel and contentious
• Provide support and advice to other members of the commercial team to develop business requirements and viable solutions and provide oversight and assurance of tender documentation and procurement compliance for other team members
• Provide mentoring support where required for Delegated Procurement Officers (DPOs) ensuring they are kept engaged in FCDO Commercial activities; Support preparing briefs and guidance as required for a variety of internal and external audiences
• Manage internal governance controls and support Business Units in progressing through the respective assurance, governance and approvals processes

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Indirect Line management of 1 X HEO / EO (Delegated Procurement Officer)

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Commercial Technical Skills - Previous experience in leading on strategic / complex commercial situations and leading teams to deliver great commercial outcomes
• Management and coordination skills
• Working Internationally - Previous experience in working in a procurement capacity which is regional/international and beyond domestic market
• Managing Change and Improvements - Evidence of the ability to identify potential improvements and successfully manage changes that deliver beneficial commercial outcomes
• Developing Self and Others - Experience in coaching and mentoring to build capability at all levels of good commercial awareness and principles
• Communicating and Influencing - Proven experience in influencing internal and external stakeholders

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or related field; MCIPS or CPSM (or studying towards) or relevant certification or MBA

Required behaviours  

• Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Developing Self and Others